


i'm living it right (and i'm living it beautifully)

by c0rpz3huzb4nd



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Not Canon Compliant, Phil Watson's A+ Parenting (Video Blogging RPF), Raccoon Hybrid TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Time Travel, Tommyinnit has a Chat (Video Blogging RPF), Trans TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), and by that i mean ive watched One tales of the smp stream and im just winging it, ant bad and ranboo are here but not enough to warrant a tag yet, i love phil but Man..., i mean. i fucking HOPE none of the shit i have planned becomes canon, mentions of mizu; the wild west stream; and the beach stream from totsmp, my own spin on karl's powers., theo makes a deal w a god! :), title from monster energy gun by kevinkempt, who is it? thats for me to know and you to find out, yeah you read that first tag right. tommy & tommy.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29180793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c0rpz3huzb4nd/pseuds/c0rpz3huzb4nd
Summary: That's not the only thing, though. There's a form sprawled on the ground, apparently having broken his damn roof when they emerged from what Tommy assumes was the portal. He creeps forward, sword at the ready as the figure groans, sitting up. They're wearing a familiar coat, and Tommy's blood runs cold when he spots the brown fabric, and the patch sewn into the back."...Wilbur?" The figure freezes, going stiff. Slowly, they stand, brushing themselves off as they turn around. Behind him, Phil lets fly a low string of curses, drawing his own sword. Tommy's speechless, blade clattering to the ground as he stares at the older man in front of him.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Karl Jacobs & Sapnap & TommyInnit, Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Karl Jacobs & TommyInnit, TommyInnit & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Comments: 108
Kudos: 561





	1. i

**Author's Note:**

> im not really sure how much of an overlap there is between the tma fandom and the dsmp fandom but. if you somehow are in both of those, yes this is based on all those fics where s5 jarchivist goes back to help s1 jarchivist stop everything from going wrong

The portal is small, at first. Tommy barely notices it, what with everything else going on in L'Manburg. It's barely a glimmer in the air right above his old house, a shard of purple, similar to the portals to the nether scattered around the city. It flickers in and out of existence, and the teen pays no mind to it. He figures it's just a fucked up bit of nether portal, since portals malfunctioning and spawning in random places isn't unheard of. 

  
  


After a few days, though, objects start appearing on his roof. A bone that looks concerningly human, a rotten carrot, a small, broken glass bottle. Tommy starts watching it more carefully, but he never manages to catch it when the objects drop through, only after they've shown up. None of them look native to the nether, which effectively rules out his theory about it being a portal. This, however, raises the question of what the _fuck_ it actually is, if it's not connected to the nether.

  
  


He collects the fallen objects, brings them to Ant, who seems to be the most knowledgeable on the server when it comes to fucked up, mystic shit. The cat hybrid just offers him an apologetic shrug, saying there's nothing out of the ordinary about the items. There's a smear of blood on the glass, but no way to figure out who or what it belongs to. He keeps the objects, though, promising to let Tommy know if he finds anything else out.

  
  


-

He asks other people, too. Karl seems _incredibly_ off put by the whole thing, refusing to even go near it. Ranboo is curious, but has nothing helpful to add. Ghostbur says he tried to stick his hand through the portal, but it disappeared before he could. Probably for the best, because getting his ghost arm (garm?) stuck in a mysterious portal when it closed _probably_ wasn't a good idea. 

  
  


Bad, however, has an entirely different reaction. Tommy comes home one day to find the small demon crouched on his roof, tail swishing slowly behind him as he stares at the spot where the portal tends to appear. He doesn't even look at Tommy as the teen approaches, only shifting in place slightly. His pose is almost animalistic, reminding Tommy more of a cat stalking its prey than any humanoid he's ever seen. 

  
  


He asks Bad what he's doing, but the demon just shakes his head, telling Tommy he can feel something calling him from the portal. That's about ten different flavors of concerning, but Bad refuses to elaborate, only repeating that he can feel something. He suspects it's the Egg, from the way Ant, who's rapidly deteriorating, becoming more and more focused on the Egg, has started to join Bad. 

  
  


Personally, Tommy would prefer they stop hanging out _on top_ of his house, but he apparently doesn't have a choice in the matter. A bit annoying, but he can live with it, as long as they don't steal his shit. Personally, Tommy doesn't get all the hype, if anything, he thinks the Egg's boring, and creepy, and better off as a pile of smoking ashes, but he's sure Bad would rip his throat out if he ever got close to hurting the thing.

  
  


The portal starts to grow bigger. While it used to be barely the width of his hand, it's now big enough that Tommy could probably fit his whole torso in, if he tried. Sometimes, he thinks he can catch snippets of voices coming from the other side, but he's never sure if it's just the wind or not. 

  
  


The items stop dropping through, and the portal is almost perpetually open, now. It slowly grows bigger, like a piece of paper being torn apart in slow motion. Even Bad and Ant don't go too close, opting to circle it from afar, like fucking _sharks_. Neither of them answer his questions about what it is, or why they're so fixated on it.

  
  


Ghostbur's the one to finally provide _some_ information about what's on the other side, though Tommy's still mad about how he went about it.

( _"Tommy! Tommy, I stuck my head through the weird portal, the one above your house, and there were two very nice men on the other side! I think I accidentally startled them, but when I apologized, one of them just ruffled my hair and told me to go away, so I did. He even knew my name!" Tommy sputters indignantly, unable to form words as he blinks incredulously at Ghostbur, who smiles cheerfully at him._

_"You fucking_ what _!?"_ )

  
  


Unfortunately, the ghost's little escapade brings more questions than answers. Tommy racks his brain for who the two men could be, but no one is making a compelling case for it being them. Prime, it could be someone they didn't even know. Someone from a different server, or one of the independent world-hoppers who were known to sneak into private servers, just because they could.

  
  


Unfortunately, his answer comes along in a much different way than he would've preferred, effectively ruining his roof in the process.

-

  
  


The flash of light is visible even from all the way across L'Manburg, obviously coming from the direction of Tommy's home. He shares a look with Phil, who had been chatting aimlessly with him and Ghostbur, telling a story from a hardcore world he'd visited once. 

  
  


"Stay here," The older man instructs Ghostbur, already pulling Tommy close to him. The teen instinctively loops his arms around Phil's neck, gripping tight as his wings snap open, propelling them into the air and towards Tommy's house with startling speed, even with Tommy being accustomed to flying with his father. (Phil had truly been making an effort, recently. Tommy's not sure what happened, but the older man's been doing his best to spend more time with Tommy, and what's left of Wilbur. He's not complaining, but it's still an abrupt change.)

  
  


Phil touches down on the ground outside his house barely a minute later, and Tommy's already drawing his sword, running towards where the light had come from. The portal swirls overhead, and the teen can make out a figure in the whirling colors. It looks like Karl, if Karl didn't sleep for a week, then got the shit beat out of him. Fucked-up-Karl shouts something else, before there's a sharp woosh of air, and the portal snaps shut all at once. 

  
  


That's not the only thing, though. There's a form sprawled on the ground, apparently having _broken his damn roof_ when they emerged from what Tommy assumes was the portal. He creeps forward, sword at the ready as the figure groans, sitting up. They're wearing a familiar coat, and Tommy's blood runs cold when he spots the brown fabric, and the patch sewn into the back.

  
  


"...Wilbur?" The figure freezes, going stiff. Slowly, they stand, brushing themselves off as they turn around. Behind him, Phil lets fly a low string of curses, drawing his own sword. Tommy's speechless, blade clattering to the ground as he stares at the older man in front of him.

  
  


In front of Tommy, the man who looks just like him stares back, blue eyes wide in shock. One of them is clouded over, with a long gash cutting across the socket. His skin is scratched and bloody, stained with soot and dirt. Wilbur's coat hangs off his shoulder, adorned with new patches and stitches, keeping it together. A pair of tattered animal ears are visible poking above his messy hair, reminding Tommy of a raccoon’s. The teen can see a dark grey tail behind older-Tommy as well, lashing back and forth agitatedly.

  
  


"Yo, what the _fuck_." They both speak at the same time, and their voices sound the same. Tommy blanches, and older-Tommy does about the same. This time, it's only the older version that speaks.

  
  


"Oh, you've _got_ to be _kidding me_."


	2. ii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i caught up on tales of the smp yesterday and im in shambles

Older-Tommy makes it about three steps forwards before Phil is lunging for him. The winged man grabs him by the collar, slamming him into the wall with a snarl. He hisses something Tommy can't quite pick up, and Older-Tommy replies in the same quiet tone. He raises a sarcastic eyebrow at Phil, who hesitates, then steps back, letting him go.

  
  


Older-Tommy rolls his eyes, brushing himself off with a sigh. He ignores Tommy's dumbfounded look, instead opting to turn in a slow circle taking in his surroundings. He hisses a curse to himself, pulling something out of his pocket. It's a compass, shimmering with the familiar enchantment of a lodestone. He checks it, glancing up at his surroundings, then down at the face, then back up. Finally, he turns to Tommy.

  
  


"Where's Dream?" Oh, fuck. Oh, no, what happens in the future that makes  _ Dream  _ his first priority?

  
  


"Last I checked, he was rotting in a prison cell." Older-Tommy relaxes visibly, sighing. Tommy feels a rush of relief at the confirmation that this future version of himself still seems to despise Dream as much as he does.

  
  


"Oh, thank Prime. That makes my job  _ so  _ much easier." He runs a hand through his messy hair, grey ears perked up, seemingly trying to take in every sight he can. Tommy steps forwards slightly, and the older man pauses, glancing down at him as he approaches. 

  
  


Tommy hesitantly pokes him in the arm, face scrunched up like something horrible will happen. When he doesn't immediately explode, Tommy repeats the motion, not quite comprehending the scene in front of him. Older-Tommy laughs softly, ruffling his hair.

  
  


"Yeesh, I forgot how young I was when all this started." Tommy bristles immediately, crossing his arms.

  
  


"I am not a  _ child _ ," He snaps, glowering at his older self. That just earns him a laugh, and another pat on the head, before Phil steps in.

  
  


"Hey, wait. Just because I know you're the real Tommy, doesn't mean you couldn't still be dangerous. Why are you here?  _ How _ are you here?" He pauses, then. "And, is there another name we can call you, so we don't have two Tommys?"

  
  


Older-Tommy sobers, stepping in front of Tommy as if to shield him from his own father. His tail lashes agitatedly, ears flattening against his head.

  
  


"I'm here to stop this," He gestures towards a red vine curling across the ground nearby. "From destroying everything we've ever loved. And, as for the name…" He pauses for a moment, as if he was thinking. "Theo works, for now." There seems to be a silent stand off between him and Phil, and Tommy watches with some interest as his father spreads his wings defensively, feathers puffing up. Theo has a similar reaction, not relaxing at all. 

  
  


After a few seconds of this, Phil huffs, turning away. "Tommy, c'mon." Tommy shakes his head, not moving from his place beside Theo.

  
  


"No way. I wanna see what's up with this guy. Don't you?" Phil sighs, giving him a Look. 

  
  


"Toms, I don't feel like arguing. Just c'mon." Tommy shakes his head again, crossing his arms and stubbornly staying put. His father waits for another long moment, before dragging a hand down his face with a groan.

  
  


"Fine.  _ Fine! _ " He points at Theo. "If you hurt him, I swear to Prime-" Theo nods, waving a hand in the air.

  
  


"He's literally me, old man. I'm not an idiot." Phil rolls his eyes, turning away, taking off with a sharp snap of his wings. Theo watches him until he's out of sight, then turns back to Tommy. His expression visibly softens, and he pats Tommy on the shoulder.

  
  


"So, what all is going on, kiddo? I don't know exactly when Karl dropped me off, I'm gonna need you to fill me in a bit. You said Dream's in prison? When did that happen?" Tommy claps his hands together, launching into a quick walk, though he's not really going anywhere specific. 

  
  


"It was about a week and a half ago. Since then, not much has happened, other than the egg spreading a bit, and the portal you came out of showing up. What was all that back there with Phil?" Theo sighs, easily keeping pace with him.

  
  


"Okay, so I've still got plenty of time before it goes  _ really  _ bad." At Tommy's question about Phil, he hesitates for a long moment before replying. "I don't want to say too much, I'm not sure how much it could fuck up, but… Phil failed me and Wilbur when we needed him most, because he insisted on playing favorites. I had to lose my brother a second time because of him, and I can't forgive that." That really just raises more questions, but Tommy can tell Theo isn't going to say anything else on the subject. He knows himself well enough to know Theo won't take kindly to being pushed, so he switches topics instead.

  
  


"So, when you said you didn't know 'when Karl dropped you off', what did you mean? Like- were you talking about the same Karl I'm thinking of?" Theo nods, glancing around. 

  
  


"Yes, I am. Karl is… he's more than he lets on. Even Q and Sap don't know the full extent of it." Tommy's a bit surprised by the familiar nicknames, the way they roll off Theo's tongue so easily, it's obvious he's been friends with the two for years. Tommy can't imagine ever getting along with the two of them, even if he tried. They work well with each other, but Tommy's too loud, too bright, he'd just intrude on their dynamic.

  
  


"More than he lets on, what's that mean? There's- there are so many ways I could interpret that, man." Theo chuckles, switching so he's walking on the other side of the path as the two of them come up on a vine that's almost spilling over onto the wooden walkway, blood red leaves glinting waxily in the sunlight.

  
  


"It's… a really long story. Better if Karl just explains it himself, honestly. He's a lot better at wording it properly than I am." Tommy perks up, grabbing Theo by the wrist and tugging him along. The older man laughs, but allows himself to be directed.

  
  


"Well, that's convenient, because the house he shares with Quackity and Sapnap is just up here!" Tommy pulls him towards the small cabin, marching right up to the door with Theo in tow. He knocks confidently, and Karl's voice echoes from deeper in the house.

  
  


"Coming!" There's a thump, like something had been thrown onto the floor, then hurried footsteps coming towards the door. Just to annoy Karl, Tommy knocks again, earning himself an exasperated groan.

  
  


"Herobrine's sake, I'm  _ coming _ ." The door swings open, revealing Karl standing in the doorway. "Tommy, hi! Can I help y-" He cuts himself off as soon as his eyes land on Theo, who raises a casual hand in greeting.

  
  


"Hey, Karl! Can I come in?" Karl gapes for a moment, before slowly stepping back, letting the older man come in. Tommy follows behind him, not wanting to miss whatever conversation is about to go down. 

  
  


"So," Theo claps his hands together cheerfully. "I'm sure you've got a lot of questions, Karl. I'll answer all of them, but first, you gotta explain to Tommy here what you've been up to." Karl looks taken aback, but he nods slowly, not taking his eyes off of Theo.

  
  


"Okay. I- alright. Tommy, why don't you sit down for this." He gestures at the couch, and Tommy obliges, crossing his legs beneath him and raising an eyebrow at Karl. The other man sighs, running a hand through his hair.

  
  


“Prime, okay. Let’s just start from the beginning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> theo: ive only had tommy for 20 minutes but if anything happened to him i would kill everyone in this room and then myself


	3. iii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'll be fine, I promise. I've been there before, that time you accidentally took me with you," Karl snickers at the memory, but allows Theo to continue. "I know the basics. I promise, I'm going to save us, okay? I'm not going to let everyone else die in vain, I swear on my fucking life, dad. For Wilbur. For Ranboo, for Sap, and Q, and Techno, and Tubbo, and everyone else. I didn't make it this far only for a bit of time travel to take me out." Theo laughs, pulling Karl into another embrace. "I'm like mould, or something, you can't get rid of me." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just to clarify rq! theo doesn't think of himself as 'tommy' anymore because that's the name phil helped him pick out when he first came out, and when theo cut ties with him shortly after Some Shit Went Down (i'll talk more about this in later chapters so i dont wanna spoil lmao), he decided he wanted to change it to something that was purely his. so, he called himself theseus, but he goes by theo for short!

Theo is tired. It's been months since he's left this dark, cold cave, the only light coming from the flickering portal that Karl is spending all his time on, and the soulfire lanterns scattered around the cavern. The man who is his father in every way but blood spends every minute of free time scribbling in the margins of his books, then writing over the text that's already there when that runs out. Eventually, he moves on to writing on his own skin, handwriting rushed and frantic, and Theo has to pull his quill out of his hands, pressing a cool cloth to the long scratches left behind by the metal point, ink mixing with blood.

  
  


Karl wears Quackity's beanie, and Theo knows the shard of blaze rod he keeps in a vial around his neck belongs to Sapnap. There are other trinkets scattered around the cavern too, though Karl never tells him what they mean. A tattered piece of a poster that looks eerily like a picture of George, a worn switchblade with blood on the handle and sand in the mechanism, a mask that one would wear to one of those fancy rich people dances, a pair of sunglasses, one of the lenses shattered. 

  
  


Theo doesn't know where they all came from, except for the knife, only because Theo had asked if the blood on the blade was there when he got it. Granted, the vague answer involving cowboys and a cannibal who's name sounded like a verbal misspelling of "corpse" didn't exactly clarify anything, but still. He assumes they have something to do with Karl's travels, the searing gaps in his memories and the frantic need to write everything down.

  
  


Ranboo used to write, too, before he had to go, like everyone else. Theo still remembers the way his hands shook as he drove the enchanted dagger through his friend's heart, or the way Ranboo gained enough lucidity to thank him, even as he burned away from the inside out.

  
  


When he crawled into bed that night with Karl and Quackity, who was still with them at that point, neither said anything, but he felt them both pull him close. He wonders if he'll ever get to feel all three of his dads hug him at once again, the way Sapnap's unnatural heat radiates off him like a furnace, or how Quackity's wings fold protectively around the others, canary yellow feathers acting like a shield against the outside world. Even Karl, who runs remarkably cold, knows how to tuck Theo into his side and make him feel safe, despite the younger boy having almost a foot on him. 

  
  


When the portal wooshes to life, and stays there, Karl hugs Theo so hard he's pretty sure his ribs will crack. His dad pretends he isn't crying as he bustles about the small cavern, and Theo does the same as he gathers what little material possessions he still has. Wilbur's coat is heavy on his shoulders when he pulls it on, and Karl's eyes soften when he sees it. 

  
  


"Here," Karl pushes a compass into his hands. The needle spins wildly, and the face is cracked, but Theo recognizes it. Sapnap had given it to him years ago, when he'd first been taken in by his dads, just days after Dream's defeat. It used to lead to a lodestone placed underneath their old cabin, no matter where in the server he was. Now that the lodestone is broken, it has no direction, but the significance is there. Theo grips it tightly, placing it in an inner pocket of his coat, where it'll be safe.

  
  


"Listen, Toms, the Inbetween is weird, okay?" Theo cuts Karl off, grabbing his dad's hands as the older man begins to gesture in the air, giving him a soft look.

  
  


"I'll be fine, I promise. I've been there before, that time you accidentally took me with you," Karl snickers at the memory, but allows Theo to continue. "I know the basics. I promise, I'm going to save us, okay? I'm not going to let everyone else die in vain, I swear on my fucking life, dad. For Wilbur. For Ranboo, for Sap, and Q, and Techno, and Tubbo, and everyone else. I didn't make it this far only for a bit of time travel to take me out." Theo laughs, pulling Karl into another embrace. "I'm like mould, or something, you can't get rid of me." 

  
  


Karl chuckles wetly, sniffling as he hands Theo a satchel that clinks as it moves, presumably full of healing potions. He takes it, slinging it over his shoulder.

  
  


"Go." Karl says, voice trembling slightly. "This- the future is fuzzy for me, and it's getting darker by the minute. You need to go as far back as you can, and you need to  _ stop this _ . You are my son, you always have been, and I love you. I trust you to do this more than I trust myself, I know you'll do good." Theo nods, turning away before he can break. 

  
  


"Love you too, dad." He says, before stepping through the portal. Karl begins to shout something, but he's already gone.

  
  


-

The Inbetween is red. Vines curl across the walls, strangling the trees, reaching out for Theo as he hurries through the halls, brandishing a torch he'd snatched off the walls towards any that come close to him, keeping them at bay long enough to get to where he knows he needs to be. Spectral figures of his father rush through the corridors, see-through and silent as they run through the same loop of motions.

  
  


In the choked red halls, Theo meets one spectre that is not the same as the rest. It is not an image of his father, and it speaks to him, offering a way out. A way to ensure his family, his  _ pack _ , survives, if destroying the egg doesn't do the trick.

  
  


Theo shakes the being's hand, and the familiar triumphant laugh chases him through the castle long after it stops echoing audibly, sticking in his brain like spun sugar.

  
  


A god has taken pity on him, he muses. It wouldn't be the first time, and it probably won't be the last. He has a habit of attracting their attention. He'll just have to prove himself worthy of it.

  
  


-

  
  


Theo's thankful for all his training with Techno, because if he didn't tuck and roll in midair, he would've broken his ankle as he fell through his own roof. The tail end of Karl's shout echoes through the portal above him, but his ears are ringing too hard to hear it as he groans and sits up, trying to catch his breath.

  
  


"Wilbur?" Theo freezes, and an odd mix of warmth, protectiveness, and undiluted fear courses through his veins as he stands, turning to face his younger self.

  
  


_ This is what you're here to protect. Don't fuck it up.  _ He glances over at Phil, who's staring open-mouthed at him.

  
  


_ Okay, Phil can get fucked, but we want to protect everyone else. _ Yeah, okay, he can get behind that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i couldn't really write it into this chapter but theo has a chat like techno does! i'll expand more on how i hc them working next chapter probably? i have many many thoughts regarding chats yall have no idea.
> 
> also yes theo thinks of sap q and karl as his dads you can pry that from my cold dead hands


	4. vi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 🚶♂️

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chat lore pog?? also more theo and tommy interactions bc i love writing them

The voices are especially loud today. Theo wrinkles his nose, doing his best to ignore them as he halfheartedly watches Karl do his best to explain the delicate intricacies of time travel to his sixteen year old self. Tommy is, surprisingly, paying close attention. Knowing himself, Theo expects his younger self to be spaced out, or pressing Karl with a hundred different questions, but he sits there with his legs folded neatly beneath himself, leaning forwards with interest as Karl goes on one of his achingly familiar tangents, gesturing wildly as he speaks.

  
  


_ you missed him :) _

_ ur a sap theo _

_ are q and sap gonna come home soon??? i wanna see them again _

**_i know you missed them, but you have to be careful. if you let too much slip to anyone but karl about what happens, you could ruin something. they’re your dads, yes, but you_ ** **need** **_to be cautious when it comes to this._ **

  
  


Ranboo’s voice stands out from the rest of the chat, his old friend’s voice sympathetic, but stern. Theo nods quietly in agreement, quietly drumming his fingers on his legs as he leans back on the familiar couch, ears twitching slightly as he takes in his surroundings, savoring the comforting sound of Karl’s voice mingling with the soft creaks of the house, and the wind barely audible outside. 

  
  


_ sleepyinnit _

_ when was the last time you slept, theo? you should get some rest :( _

_ RANBOO IS STILL ALIVE RIGHT NOW WE CAN SEE HIM AGAIN I JUTS REALIZED _

_ OH SHIT _

_ THEO GO SEE RANBOO :0 _

Theo’s lips quirk into a slight smile at his chat’s belated realization, and he instinctively replies to them out loud, leaning forwards to dig his old compass out of the pocket he’d tucked it in.

  
  


“Chat, we can’t do that right now. Maybe later, when we’re done with Karl, hm?” He realizes a second too late that Tommy and Karl are both looking at him. Karl seems confused, while Tommy’s eyes are alight with a mix of curiosity and something bordering on horror. 

  
  


“Theo, you have them too?” Karl’s head whips over to Tommy, raising an eyebrow, but Tommy presses on before the older man has a chance to ask anything. “Techno calls the voice ‘chat’ too, but I had no idea anyone else had them!” Theo chuckles, absently cracking his knuckles as he shifts under his younger self’s piercing gaze.

  
  


“Yeah, I do. They’re annoying as hell, though.”

  
  


**_hey! :(_ **

  
  


“Okay,  _ most  _ of them are annoying as hell,” He concedes. “A few are actually nice, and helpful, I’ll give them that. Most just yell at me, though.” Tommy’s completely switched focus from Karl’s time travelling to Theo’s chat, and the hybrid would be annoyed if he wasn’t painfully aware of how bad his attention span was back then. Karl doesn’t seem to mind, either. 

  
  


“How’d you get them?” Tommy presses, eyes wide. “Techno never told me why his chat came about, just that he had one.” Theo hesitates, worrying at his lip for a moment, before sighing, leaning over to ruffle Tommy’s hair. He knows for a fact his younger self knows  _ exactly  _ how the chat came about, but he’s waiting to see if Theo wants to say it in front of Karl.

  
  


“I guess you’ll just have to find out, bud.” He chuckles at Tommy’s disgruntled expression, even as the teen quietly leans into the touch. Theo remembers how touch starved he was back then, when even Tubbo was almost always too busy to spend much time with him. Karl is still frowning, leaning forwards.

  
  


“Tommy, uh,” He pauses. “Older Tommy, I guess-” Theo shakes his head, cutting the older man off.

  
  


“It’s not Tommy anymore. Technically my full name is Theseus, but Theo works just fine.” Karl blinks, looking a bit sheepish. 

  
  


“Oh! Oh, alright. Sorry, I thought you uh- I guess I misremembered, I thought you chose Tommy yourself.” Theo chuckles, walking over to place a hand on Karl’s shoulder, the motion familiar and easy, and Karl relaxes at it.

  
  


“No, you’re fine. I did technically choose Tommy, but it was with Phil’s help. After… some stuff happened with him, I decided I wanted a name that was mine and mine alone.” Karl nods, and Theo recognizes the curious glint in his father’s eyes, the one that means he’s going to be questioned to no end as soon as the two get a moment alone. For now, though, he wants to address the sharp fear and conflict shimmering in Tommy’s eyes.

  
  


_ we gotta tell him before he freaks out even more _

_ does he think we’re murderers?? _

**_just stay calm and explain everything to him. he’s you, theo, he’ll understand._ **

  
  


As always, Ranboo makes an excellent point. He steps away from Karl reluctantly, instead moving to wrap an arm around Tommy’s shoulders, starting to maneuver him into a side room.

  
  


“Well, Karl, I’d love to answer your questions, but I have some stuff I wanna talk to Tommy about, and I’m sure you wanna figure out what you’re gonna say before da-” He cuts himself off, wincing slightly before correcting himself. “Before Sapnap and Quackity come home. Alright? Okay, cool.” With that, he ushers Tommy into the other room, spinning him around and shutting the door as soon as they’re both in there.

  
  


“I’m not like Techno.” He says immediately, pushing a stray piece of hair out of his face. “Yes, I’ve killed people, but there’s barely two hundred people in my chat, not the thousands he has. It’s just people who were so far under the egg’s influence it would’ve been impossible to get them back, I swear on Wilbur’s grave.” Tommy relaxes visibly, sighing.

  
  


“That’s- alright, big man, I believe you. I can’t ever see myself becoming like him, but I mean- with everything that you’ve said goes wrong, I just didn’t… I couldn't be sure.” Theo nods in understanding, smiling softly at his younger self. He goes to pull his hand away, but something seems to catch Tommy’s eye, and he catches it before Theo can.

  
  


“What’s this?” He asks, pushing back Theo’s sleeve to reveal the markings on his forearm, waving smoothly around his scars like they’d always been there.

  
  


( _ “So, do we have a deal, Theseus?” The god’s face is almost completely obscured; what isn’t hidden behind his mask is covered by wild curls, but Theo gets the distinct impression he’s smiling. He hasn’t heard the god’s voice in so long, but it’s still familiar, like he’d just heard it yesterday. He nods, holding out a hand, and the god laughs, shaking it.  _

_ A glove covers his hand, but Theo still feels the sickly heat radiating off of the god like a fever. The heat spreads, and Theo bites his lip to hold back a cry as it burns scalding lines into his arm. The symbols are familiar, Theo grew up seeing them scribbled in book margins and inside notebooks, but he can’t quite decipher any of them.  _

  
  


_ “Just a reminder, so you don’t forget what you promised.” The god’s voice has an amused sort of sing-song tone to it, and Theo rolls his eyes good naturedly. As if he’d ever forget something as important as saving his family. _ )

  
  


“It’s a promise,” Theo decides on, pulling his arm away. “To my family, to a god, to myself. A promise to save this world.” Tommy’s eyes are fiery when he looks at Theo, and the older man knows the teen is aware he’s not getting the full story, but they’re interrupted before he can press further by the sound of the front door opening, and his head snaps towards it. 

  
  


“Theo,” Karl opens the door, poking his head through. “Q and Sap are back. C’mon, tell them what you told me, before Sap tries to set you on fire.” Theo nods, steeling himself to see his dads again after three years. He pushes the mental images of their bodies out of his brain, because right now they’re  _ alive  _ and they’re  _ okay _ , and he’s here to make sure they stay that way.

  
  


He steps out of the room, and comes face to face with Sapnap, red eyes boring into his. He takes a deep breath, and offers him a smile.

  
  


“Hey, dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm not even worried about being subtle with hinting at who the god theo made a deal with is because like. there's no fucking way y'all are guessing it. i'm not even being cocky or anything it's just such a stupidly minor character you won't even think to guess them LMAO
> 
> oh, this fic has a playlist now! listen to it [here!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/28kn6KrOxfSNTwMao1y0vh?si=2T6_0mROQ5uDcjNltYgpVQ)
> 
> )


	5. v

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For now, though, they sit in silence as the sun disappears below the horizon and stars wink into existence above them. Maybe it’s the calm before the storm, maybe it’s the way animals go silent when they sense a predator is nearby, but neither of them seem to notice the still air, or the utter lack of birdsong ringing through the trees. 
> 
> Good. The Egg likes it that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOW THE FUCK DID I WRITE A 1.6K WORD CHAPTER IN 45 MINUTES WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY EATING A PASTY AND WATCHING DAREDEVIL???? WHAT.

“Hey, dad.” Sapnap jolts in surprise at the soft greeting, frowning at Tommy. But, no, that’s not Tommy, because Tommy doesn’t have raccoon ears poking through his messy blonde hair, and Tommy doesn’t have a long scar across his left eye, iris dull and unseeing as he cocks his head at Sapnap. Tommy isn’t tired, and ragged, and Tommy does not bear the claim of a rotten god that Sapnap does  _ not  _ want to meet.

  
  


“Sap, this is Theo. He’s… it’s a long story that I don’t know the full extent of, but he’s from the future.” Karl trails off behind him, and Tomm- Theo chuckles dryly. Fuck, even his laugh sounds like Tommy’s. The half-demon stares him down blankly, suspicion burning in his gaze. Theo stares right back at him, not ducking his head even as Sapnap scrutinizes him. The stubborness in his eyes remains unwavering, but Sapnap can see something else behind it, a conflicted sort of sadness. 

  
  


“It’s been a while, for me.” Theo says after a long moment, and his voice trembles. “Been a while since I had to lose you. Since Karl and Quackity had to lose you.” There’s something far away in his expression, but before Sapnap can study it further, he blinks hard, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts.

  
  


“Sorry, sorry. This is probably a bit confusing for you.” The laugh that bubbles out of him is strained and shaky, but Sapnap doesn’t comment on it. Theo holds a hand out, and Sapnap frowns at the scar tissue that covers most of the skin, reminiscent of a burn, like the hand had been plunged into lava and left to heal without a regen pot. He shakes the other man’s hand, nodding in agreement. 

  
“Yeah, you could say that. How are you from the  _ future _ ? And why do you look so much like Tommy?” That earns him another laugh, and Theo steps back, shoving his hand in his pocket. Belatedly, Sapnap realizes the long brown coat he wears is Wilbur’s, and if the numerous patches and obvious age is anything to go by, he’s pretty sure it’s the original, too. 

  
  


“Well, the second one is a lot easier than the first. I look like Tommy because I  _ am  _ Tommy. The name’s Theseus now, but still. We’re the same guy.” Sapnap blinks in surprise at that, shooting a glance towards the Tommy he’s used to, who stands in the corner watching Theo with a fascinated expression, like he’s watching one of his idols in the arena. Theo returns the gaze with a soft smile, pulling off his coat and handing it to Tommy as he leans on the wall next to the teen. Tommy eagerly pulls it on, grinning at Theo, who grins right back. 

  
  


“As for the first one… you might wanna sit down for this.” Quackity, who had been hovering in the corner up until then, is the first to stride over, sitting down on the counter and watching Theo expectantly. Sapnap joins him, while Karl sits at the table normally, like a loser. 

  
  


“Okay, I didn’t give Karl the full story at first, because I didn’t wanna go over this more than once.” Theo sighs, lacing his fingers together. Sapnap’s eyes are drawn to the symbols on one of his arms, etched into the skin like a tattoo. They’re not in any language he recognizes, something ancient and unfamiliar. Before he can study them more, though, Theo pulls the sleeves of his soot-stained dress shirt down to cover them, fixing him with a confrontational stare. Sapnap holds his gaze for a moment, before relenting and looking away, ducking his head in defeat.

  
  


“So, you all know the Egg, right? Big ugly thing, been taking over the server for the past few months, even started taking over people’s minds?” There’s a soft chorus of nods, and Theo smiles dryly. “Well, that nasty motherfucker isn’t going to stop at a few vines here and there, and a couple of acolytes that can do its bidding. It will keep spreading, and spreading, and  _ spreading _ , and it will not stop until it has claimed every last thing on this server. It will kill us all if someone doesn’t stop it, it’s already halfway there.” Quackity stands up, wings puffing up behind him as he frowns at Theo.

  
  


“If that’s true, how’d you’d you survive? Did you just hide in a hole, or some shit? And why not go back further, before the Egg even got started?” Theo frowns, running a hand through his hair.

  
  


“I didn’t hide, Quackity. I spent six months on the surface before I joined everyone else in the cavern Sam carved out for us, trying to get everyone I could to safety. I got  _ you  _ to safety, because your stubborn ass thought you could just fly around forever. And I didn’t go back any further because I  _ couldn’t _ . The Egg saw what I was doing, it tried to stop me. This was as far as I could go, and even getting here took a lot out of me.” Quackity nods slowly, sitting back down carefully, though his feathers remain ruffled defensively. 

  
  


“Did any of the others come with you?” Sapnap speaks up this time, and a pained expression passes over Theo’s face as he shakes his head.

  
“No, I… no. By the time I got here, everyone was gone. I had to kill some of them myself, others flung themselves to the Egg, others were strangled by vines that crawled up their throat and suffocated them without them ever realizing.” His voice has taken on an odd tone, like it’s taking every ounce of energy to force the words out. “That’s why I came back here, because I  _ can’t  _ let that happen again, I can’t live with the knowledge that I could’ve done something to save my friends and family and I didn’t.” Oh. 

  
  


Oh, Theo. Sapnap feels like shit, now, because Theo’s voice is trembling, and he can clearly see that the other man’s eyes are starting to water, even as he tries to blink the tears away. He acts on instinct, something rearing it’s head in him at the sight, because even though he is hardened by war and battle and trauma, he is still fragile.

  
  


He’s moving before he even registers standing up, pulling Theo into a hug. It’s a bit awkward, since the other man has almost half a foot on him, but Theo leans into it with a hum. 

  
  


“Sorry,” Sapnap mumbles sheepishly, pulling back to pat Theo on the shoulder. “I shouldn’t have- I didn’t mean to-” Theo cuts him off, shaking his head as he drags a hand down his face.

  
  


“No, you’re fine. You didn’t know. It’s still a raw wound, ‘s all.” He lets out another shaky breath, clapping his hands together. 

  
  


“Y’know, on that cheery note, I think I’m going to take a walk!” Karl starts to say something, to stop him, but Theo strides out the door without even bothering to take his coat back from Tommy, letting it swing shut behind him. As soon as he’s out the door, Sapnap gets the full force of three unimpressed glares, and he throws his hands in the air.

  
  


“Hey, how was I supposed to know?!” He doesn’t get a response, but Quackity flicks him in the side of the head as he moves to follow Theo, and he groans despairingly, turning his pleas for mercy towards Karl.

  
  


-

  
  


Theo smells like death, bittersweet and standing out against the wind and rain and gunpowder that Quackity’s so used to from him. It’s the first thing he notices about Theo when he approaches the other man, who sits quietly on his bench, exactly where he figured he’d be. His legs are crossed beneath him, expression distant as he stares off into the setting sun. The scent hangs heavy in the air around him, and if Quackity didn’t know better, he’d be worried that Theo was seriously sick. There’s no signs of it, though, he seems as healthy as ever, if not more than a little tired. 

  
  


Quackity approaches him carefully, sitting down next to him. Theo glances over, nodding a greeting before returning his gaze to the sunset. The light turns his hair golden bronze, reminding Quackity of nether-gold. The hybrid carefully lays a hand on Theo’s, and the other man’s fingers twitch slightly. His other hand goes up to play with a chain around his neck, with two familiar rings hanging off of it. The exact same rings sit on Quackity’s left ring and middle finger. They’re his wedding rings, no doubt about it. 

  
  


Quackity tries to ignore the little wrench his heart gives when he puts together the pieces. How Theo had called Sapnap ‘dad’, how emotional he had seemed when he saw the three of them, the way he trembled when he spoke about losing people. This Tommy, this worn, scarred man, he had lost everything that was important to him. So now, he was risking everything to change it, something Quackity’s sure he could never gather the strength to do.

  
  


Two men sit on a bench and watch the sunset, the air quiet and stil aside from the wind in the trees and the soft warble of a nearby stream. Later, Quackity will press Theo with questions about how to stop the Egg, and why he changed his name to a moniker given to him by  _ Technoblade _ , of all people. He’ll ask about the scent of ancient rot that hangs in the air around him like a shield, something so clearly unnatural.

  
  


For now, though, they sit in silence as the sun disappears below the horizon and stars wink into existence above them. Maybe it’s the calm before the storm, maybe it’s the way animals go silent when they sense a predator is nearby, but neither of them seem to notice the still air, or the utter lack of birdsong ringing through the trees. 

  
  


Good. The Egg likes it that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i want to add lore for [REDACTED] i want to add lore for them so bad but i have to resist because i dont want to spoil who they are before i'm ready. for now i have to settle for little hints at their character/what they stand for but you guys have no idea how much lore i wanna add for them help me


	6. vi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you asked for [REDACTED] lore so here's the vaguest lore i could possibly give you 🤎

The god does not remember his name. He is Rot, and Decay, and Sickness, but he does not remember what he was before all of those things. He is not Death, that title is reserved for someone else, but he is everything that comes before it, the disintegration of the mind and body and soul. He wonders if he is falling apart as well, if the gaps in his memory and pains that rush through his limbs are his own curse, reflected back onto him as if through a mirror.

  
  


He sits in a field of flowers, and they crumble beneath his touch, petals and stems turning black and withered. He curls in on himself, wincing at every tiny, fragile plant he destroys. The god does not know where his companion has gone, a smaller man with vibrant green eyes and a kind voice that echoes in the god’s memory, bringing a smile to his lips, though it’s hidden behind his mask. His friend had called him something, and he’s pretty sure it’s his name, but he cannot recall it no matter how hard he thinks. 

  
  


It’s convenient, what he can and cannot remember. His memories of the countless cruel and misleading deals he’s made are crystal clear, but he could not answer you if asked how old he was, or what his mother’s name is. (He thinks he is ancient, if the way his friend speaks is any indication. He speaks of their time together as though it has been centuries, and the god is familiar enough around him that he wouldn’t be surprised. The god takes a long time to grow comfortable around someone.)

  
  


Theo is odd, the god muses to himself as he tucks his knees up to his chin, listening to the wind rustle the grass around him. The boy bears the marks of people he knows well, the Angel of Death, the Blood God, even Nemesis himself. Those who send countless people to him, occasionally even giving up their own vessels to his grip. There’s someone else the god does not recognize as well, someone his friend cheerfully refers to as Karl, or occasionally Chronos. Theo wears the marks proudly like a badge of honor. It makes him cocky, easy to rile up, because he thinks they make him indestructible. The god knows better. 

  
  


By the time the god had found him, Theo was caught in the tendrils of something sharp and unnatural. It’s decay was blood red and angry, carving blistering paths through flesh and mind alike, indelicate and unnerving, even to him. The god doesn’t know what it is, and even his friend, who knows every life form that has ever existed, or will ever exist, cannot identify the tangled vines that wrap around his ribcage like chains.

  
  


The god was curious, though. For once, he didn’t want to see Theo fall apart like fragile glass beneath his fingers. He feeds on decay, yes, but the thing that has a hold on Theo does not feed him. He doesn’t even think it feeds itself, if he’s being honest. It takes and takes and takes and it does not give back, which is something the god cannot stand for.

  
  


Despite his very nature, the god does not only do harm. He returns that which he takes, leeching the energy from one person and feeding it back into another. It’s just another reason why he and his friend have remained together for so long, their very existences are intertwined. He is doomed to siphon the life from something, and his friend is doomed to give it to something else, only to watch that life one again be pulled away like petals on a newly-opened flower, still fragile and barely given enough time to breathe before it’s torn apart. 

  
  


Footsteps come towards him through the grass, and the god stands, wincing at the pain that sparks in his form as he does so, the movement tugging at him in all the wrong ways. He is used to the pain, though, and grits his teeth through it as his friend pops into view, grinning at him. The god smiles wide in that way he knows makes it clear that he’s doing so, making sure it reaches his eyes. Or, eye, singular, since his other one is obscured by his mask. His friend has something in his hands, something the god identifies as a crown woven out of black roses with thorns that seem to reach for his friend’s exposed skin as if to pierce it, though his hands are obscured by white gardening gloves.

  
  


The god recognizes the flowers as wither roses when his friend places the crown on his head with a cheerful laugh, and they don’t disintegrate into small, cracked pieces, instead resting plainly there, sweet scent weaving around him cloyingly. The god cannot hold back a laugh of his own, letting his friend take his hand and lead him away, rambling softly about his newest creation or experiment.

  
  


In another world entirely, tucked in the basement of a cozy wooden home nestled in the mountains, the Angel of Death seethes, wings flared behind him as he paces, netherite books scuffing heavily against the raw stone floor. The Blood God leans against the wall, watching him with hooded eyes, expression blank, the only emotion on his face being a small spark of amusement in his eyes.

  
  


He offers empty condolences to the god he claimed as his father, his brother, his partner in crime, blood red cloak swishing around his shoulders as he shifts in place. The Angel’s son sits upstairs, blissfully unaware of his father’s fury. Decay has already sunk it’s claws deep into his mind, dragging jagged gashes across his memory, chasms so deep there’s no way to repair them. Blue stains his hands, and it is unclear even to him, how much of it is dye, and how much is his own blood, constantly sluggishly leaking from the never-healed wound in his chest.

  
  


Far below them, vines crawling through the earth, bleaching roots and soil white as it stretches its leeching roots, the Egg’s influence grows ever stronger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is so much different from my usual writing style but like. in my defense i was cocon w argbur the whole time i wrote this and that motherfucker is the most unnecessarily poetic bastard ive ever met

**Author's Note:**

> edit 2/22/2021: changed my username to c0rpz3huzb4nd, used to be gowhiteboygo
> 
> comments and kudos fuel my soul and motivate me to write more :)


End file.
